Motherly Love

Motherly Love

As of late, my six year old son has become rather inquisitive. He has started asking bigger more “grown up” questions about what it means to be in love and when he will be able to take part.

“No baby, Daddy is my husband. We are married.” I responded. “That is what two people do when they love each other very much and want to spend their entire lives together.

“Does that mean you want to kiss daddy on the mouth?” he said with a smile.

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. He was so serious in his innocence.

“Yes, I suppose it does,” I responded.

“When can I get married?” he asked

“Well first you need to find a girl or boy that you love very much, someone that gives you butterflies in your stomach, someone you promise to love forever.”

“I promise to love you forever Mommy.”

I melted. “Mommy is already taken my love.”

“Oh, Daddy won’t mind, he likes to share.”

My giggles escaped me.

“Don’t worry sweetie, you have plenty of time to find a partner and once you do, you will spend some time together, making memories and having adventures. Then, when you are sure you want to spend your whole life with that person, and you two agree to love and support each other through thick and through thin, you can get married, if you want to that is.

“What does thick and thin mean?

“It means in good times and in bad.”

“Oh. How old do I have to be to get married Mommy? Mommy?”

I struggled to answer realizing that, in my gut, I wanted to say never.

Because the love I have for him and the definition I had just given him about marriage; making memories, having adventures, loving and supporting each other, those were all things I aspired to do with him too.

I took a deep breath and said, “maybe you are right, maybe Daddy won’t mind sharing after all.” My favorite grin crept across his face and with that I wrapped my arms around him. Squeezing him tighter and tighter, we giggled until our cheeks hurt.